Multiple Apparel Products by Using Fabric Templates and Laser Finishing

ABSTRACT

Laser finishing of apparel products allows an operating model that reduces finishing cost, lowers carrying costs, increases productivity, shortens time to market, be more reactive to trends, reduce product constraints, reduces lost sales and dilution, and more. Improved aspects include design, development, planning, merchandising, selling, making, and delivering. The model uses fabric templates, each of which can be used to produce a multitude of laser finishes. Operational efficiency is improved.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application62/433,746, filed Dec. 13, 2016, which is incorporated by referencealong with all other references cited in this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to textiles and, more specifically, totechniques for various aspects of laser finishing of apparel productsincluding designing, developing, planning, merchandising, selling,making, and delivering of such products. These products include denimapparel such as jeans, shirts, shorts, jackets, vests, and skirts, wherelaser finishing is used to produce a faded, distressed, washed, or wornfinish or appearance.

In 1853, during the California Gold Rush, Levi Strauss, a 24-year-oldGerman immigrant, left New York for San Francisco with a small supply ofdry goods with the intention of opening a branch of his brother's NewYork dry goods business. Shortly after arriving in San Francisco, Mr.Strauss realized that the miners and prospectors (called the “fortyniners”) needed pants strong enough to last through the hard workconditions they endured. So, Mr. Strauss developed the now familiarjeans which he sold to the miners. The company he founded, Levi Strauss& Co., still sells jeans and is the most widely known jeans brand in theworld. Levi's is a trademark of Levi Strauss & Co.

Though jeans at the time of the Gold Rush were used as work clothes,jeans have evolved to be fashionably worn everyday by men and women,showing up on billboards, television commercials, and fashion runways.Fashion is one of the largest consumer industries in the U.S. and aroundthe world. Jeans and related apparel are a significant segment of theindustry.

As fashion, people are concerned with the appearance of their jeans.Many people desire a faded or worn blue jeans look. In the past, jeansbecame faded or distressed through normal wash and wear. The apparelindustry recognized people's desire for the worn blue jeans look andbegan producing jeans and apparel with different wear patterns. The wearpatterns have become part of the jeans style and fashion. Some examplesof wear patterns include combs or honeycombs, whiskers, stacks, andtrain tracks.

Despite the widespread success jeans have enjoyed, the process toproduce modern jeans with wear patterns takes processing time, hasrelatively high processing cost, and is resource intensive. A typicalprocess to produce jeans uses significant amounts of water, chemicals(e.g., bleaching or oxidizing agents), ozone, enzymes, and pumice stone.For example, it may take from about 20 to 60 liters of water to finisheach pair of jeans.

Therefore, there is a need for improved techniques to accommodate laserfinishing for jeans and other apparel, which will reduce environmentalimpact, processing time, and processing costs, while maintaining thelook and style of traditional finishing techniques.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Laser finishing of apparel products allows an operating model thatreduces finishing cost, lowers carrying costs, increases productivity,shortens time to market, be more reactive to trends, reduce productconstraints, reduces lost sales and dilution, and more. Improved aspectsinclude design, development, planning, merchandising, selling, making,and delivering. The model uses fabric templates, each of which can beused be produce a multitude of laser finishes. Operational efficiency isimproved.

In an implementation, a method includes: using a first base wash recipeto wash a garment to obtain a first garment template, where the garmentis an assembled garment made from fabric panels of a woven firstmaterial having a warp yarn including indigo-dyed cotton yarn, and thefabric panels are sewn together using thread; using a second base washrecipe to wash a garment to obtain a second garment template, where thefirst and second wash recipes are different; using a laser finishingmachine to burn a first finishing pattern on the first garment templateto obtain a first finished garment; indicating the first finishedgarment as a first garment product, identifiable by a first product codeidentifier; using a laser finishing machine to burn the first finishingpattern on the second garment template to obtain a second finishedgarment; and indicating the second finished garment as a second garmentproduct, identifiable by a second product code identifier.

In various implementations, the first base wash recipe uses a differentconcentration of chemical oxidizers than the second base wash recipe.The first base wash recipe uses a different amount of abrasive particlesthan the second base wash recipe.

The method can include: storing a first inventory including many of thefirst garment templates; and storing a second inventory including manyof the second garment templates. The first inventory can be stored in afacility that also houses the laser finishing machine that burns thefirst finishing pattern on the first garment template. The secondinventory can be stored in a facility that also houses the laserfinishing machine that burns the first finishing pattern on the secondgarment template.

In an implementation, a method includes: manufacturing a number ofgarments made from denim fabric panels, where the denim fabric panelsare sewn together using thread; using a first base wash recipe to wash afirst subset of the garments to obtain first garment templates; using asecond base wash recipe to wash a second subset of the garments toobtain second garment templates, where the first and second wash recipesare different; using a laser finishing machine, burning a firstfinishing pattern on one of the first garment templates to obtain afirst finished garment; indicating the first finished garment as a firstgarment product, identifiable by a first product code identifier; usingthe laser finishing machine to burn the first finishing pattern on oneof the second garment templates to obtain a second finished garment;indicating the second finished garment as a second garment product,identifiable by a second product code identifier.

The method can include: storing a first inventory of the first garmenttemplates; and storing a second inventory of the second garmenttemplates. The first and second inventories can be stored in a firstfacility that also houses the laser finishing machine. The manufacturingof the garments are washing of garments is performed at a differentfacility from the first facility. The method can include: using thelaser finishing machine to burn a second finishing pattern on one of thefirst garment templates to obtain a third finished garment; andindicating the third finished garment as a third garment product,identifiable by a third product code identifier.

In an implementation, a method includes: providing a first garmenttemplate washed using a first base wash recipe; providing a secondgarment template washed using a second base wash recipe; providing afirst laser file including a first finishing pattern; and inputting thefirst laser file to a laser finishing machine to burn the firstfinishing pattern onto the first garment template to obtain a firstfinished garment.

The method further includes: indicating the first finished garment as afirst garment product, identifiable by a first product code identifier;inputting the first laser file to the laser finishing machine to burnthe first finishing pattern onto the second garment template to obtain asecond finished garment; and indicating the second finished garment as asecond garment product, identifiable by a second product codeidentifier, different form the first product code identifier.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent upon consideration of the following detailed descriptionand the accompanying drawings, in which like reference designationsrepresent like features throughout the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a comparison between traditional manufacturing and laserfinishing.

FIG. 2 shows a process flow for manufacturing apparel such as jeans,where garments are finished using a laser.

FIG. 3 shows a technique of creating multiple finishes by laserfinishing a fabric template (or a base fit fabric) for a fabric.

FIG. 4 shows an example of use of finishes and fabrics to createdifferent products for men's jeans with traditional processing.

FIG. 5 shows an example of use of finishes and fabrics to createdifferent products for women's jeans with traditional processing.

FIG. 6 shows a hierarchy of fabrics and finishes for laser processing,where the hierarchy includes fabric templates (or base fit fabrics).

FIG. 7 is shows a distributed computer network.

FIG. 8 shows a computer system that can be used in laser finishing.

FIG. 9 shows a system block diagram of the computer system.

FIGS. 10-11 show examples of mobile devices.

FIG. 12 shows a system block diagram of a mobile device.

FIG. 13 shows flow for finishing apparel to produce a desired wearpattern.

FIG. 14 shows a block diagram of a system for creating, designing,producing apparel products with laser finishing.

FIG. 15 shows a block diagram of a user tool to create customizedapparel using laser finishing.

FIG. 16 shows an implementation of a kiosk tool.

FIG. 17 shows traditional flow for getting an apparel product to market.

FIG. 18 shows various techniques for reducing time to market when usinglaser finishing

FIG. 19 shows a flow for a finishing technique that includes the use ofa laser.

FIG. 20 shows a flow for finishing in two finishing steps and using basetemplates.

FIGS. 21-23 show various approaches for staging the base fit fabrics orbase templates.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a comparison between a traditional manufacturing process111 and laser finishing 122 to produce distressed apparel includingjeans. Compared to the traditional flow, the laser finishing processprovides significant time savings 134.

The traditional process includes dry processing such as local scrape,whisker, holes, and crack and net to produce apparel with a distresseddistress appearance. Crack and net is an example of a manual techniquewhere jeans are placed in a sausage casing like net and washed while inthe net to gain white streaks on the surface of the finish, whichreplicate a feature of vintage jeans. There also a potassiumpermanganate (PP) spray which is a chemical oxidizer.

In the laser finishing flow, the traditional dry process and chemicalsteps are replaced by a laser finishing step 139. The overall processflow for laser finishing is simpler, takes less time, and is moreenvironmentally and resource friendly (e.g., chemical oxidizers are notused). There is a time gap 145 between a wash step and laser finishing139. This gap represents a postponement time from when base wash is doneto when the finish is finally designated. The apparel manufacturer hasmore time before committing to a particular finish, so that with thelaser finishing, the manufacturer can adapt and respond to market trendsmore quickly.

Some steps occur in both flows, such as cut and sew, wash, tint wash,and add sundries. These steps take a similar amount of time in bothflows. The add sundries step refers to adding tags and the like to thejeans. Since oxidizers are not used in laser finishing, the tint wash isfor tinting, not neutralizing and tinting as in the traditional flow.

FIG. 2 shows a process flow 201 for manufacturing apparel such as jeans,where garments are finished using a laser. The fabric or material forvarious apparel including jeans is made from natural or synthetic fibers206, or a combination of these. A fabric mill takes fibers and processes209 these fibers to produce a laser-sensitive finished fabric 212, whichhas enhanced response characteristics for laser finishing.

Some examples of natural fibers include cotton, flax, hemp, sisal, jute,kenaf, and coconut; fibers from animal sources include silk, wool,cashmere, and mohair. Some examples of synthetic fibers includepolyester, nylon, spandex or elastane, and other polymers. Some examplesof semisynthetic fibers include rayon, viscose, modal, and lyocell,which are made from a regenerated cellulose fiber. A fabric can be anatural fiber alone (e.g., cotton), a synthetic fiber alone (e.g.,polyester alone), a blend of natural and synthetic fibers (e.g., cottonand polyester blend, or cotton and spandax), or a blend of natural andsemisynthetic fibers, or any combination of these or other fibers.

For jeans, the fabric is typically a denim, which is a sturdy cottonwarp-faced textile in which a weft passes under two or more warpthreads. This twill weaving produces a diagonal ribbing. The fabric isdyed using an indigo or blue dye, which is characteristic of blue jeans.

Although this patent describes the apparel processing and finishing withrespect to jeans, the invention is not limited jeans or denim products,such as shirts, shorts, jackets, vests, and skirts. The techniques andapproaches described are applicable to other apparel and products,including nondenim products and products made from knit materials. Someexamples include T-shirts, sweaters, coats, sweatshirts (e.g., hoodies),casual wear, athletic wear, outerwear, dresses, evening wear, sleepwear,loungewear, underwear, socks, bags, backpacks, uniforms, umbrellas,swimwear, bed sheets, scarves, and many others.

A manufacturer creates a design 215 (design I) of its product. Thedesign can be for a particular type of clothing or garment (e.g., men'sor women's jean, or jacket), sizing of the garment (e.g., small, medium,or large, or waist size and inseam length), or other design feature. Thedesign can be specified by a pattern or cut used to form pieces of thepattern. A fabric is selected and patterned and cut 218 based on thedesign. The pattern pieces are assembled together 221 into the garment,typically by sewing, but can be joined together using other techniques(e.g., rivets, buttons, zipper, hoop and loop, adhesives, or othertechniques and structures to join fabrics and materials together).

Some garments can be complete after assembly and ready for sale.However, other garments are unfinished 222 and have additional finishing224 (which can include laser finishing). The finishing may includetinting, washing, softening, and fixing. For distressed denim products,the finishing can include using a laser to produce a wear patternaccording to a design 227 (design II). Some additional details of laserfinishing are described in U.S. patent application 62/377,447, filedAug. 19, 2016, which is incorporated by reference. U.S. patentapplication Ser. Nos. 15/841,263, 15/841,267, 15/841,268, and15/841,272, filed Dec. 13, 2017; Ser. No. 15/682,507, filed Aug. 21,2017; and 62/433,746, filed Dec. 13, 2016, are also incorporated byreference.

Design 227 is for postassembly aspects of a garment while design 115 isfor preassembly aspects of a garment. After finishing, a finishedproduct 130 is complete and ready for sale. The finished product isinventoried and distributed 133, delivered to stores 136, and sold toconsumers or customers 139. The consumer can buy and wear worn bluejeans without having to wear out the jeans themselves, which usuallytakes significant time and effort.

Traditionally, to produce distressed denim products, finishingtechniques include dry abrasion, wet processing, oxidation, or othertechniques, or combinations of these, to accelerate wear of the materialin order to produce a desired wear pattern. Dry abrasion can includesandblasting or using sandpaper. For example, some portions or localizedareas of the fabric are sanded to abrade the fabric surface. Wetprocessing can include washing in water, washing with oxidizers (e.g.,bleach, peroxide, ozone, or potassium permanganate), spraying withoxidizers, washing with abrasives (e.g., pumice, stone, or grit).

These traditional finishing approaches take time, incur expense, andimpact the environment by utilizing resources and producing waste. It isdesirable to reduce water and chemical usage, which can includeeliminating the use agents such as potassium permanganate and pumice. Analternative to these traditional finishing approaches is laserfinishing. Laser finishing can replace many steps in the traditionalfinishing approach, leading to cost and time savings.

FIG. 3 shows a technique of creating multiple finishes by laserfinishing a base fit fabric for a fabric. Laser finishing can be used tocreate many different finishes (each a different product) easily andquickly from the same fabric template or “blank.” These fabric templatescan be referred to as base fit fabrics or BFFs.

In short, base fit fabrics are assembled garments in fabrics (e.g., warpstretch, selvedge, and others) for various fits (e.g., 502, 511, or 711,and others) that have been base washed (e.g., light, medium, dark, andothers). The base fit fabrics serve as templates for laser finishing.

For each fabric 312, there will be a number of base fit fabrics 324.These base fit fabrics are lasered to produce many different finishes,each being a different product for product line. Laser finishing allowsgreater efficiency because by using fabric templates (or base fitfabrics), a single fabric or material can be used to create manydifferent products for a product line, more than is possible withtraditional processing. This reduces the inventory of different fabricand finish raw materials.

FIG. 4 shows an example of use of finishes and fabrics to createdifferent products for men's jeans with traditional processing. Aparticular finish (finish 1) is done with three different fabrics(fabric 1, fabric 2, and fabric 3). Fabric 1 is used to product threedifferent products, the 511, 501, and 510 products.

As an example, with traditional processing, for men's jeans, an averageof about four products are produced for each fabric. PC9 refers to aproduct code (e.g., a nine digit product code), each product codedescribing a different product model. For example, there can be the 511jeans line in different sizes with one distressing pattern; this wouldbe categorized under a first PC9 code. And there can be the 501 jeansline in different sizes with one distressing pattern; this would becategorized as a second PC9 code, different from the first PC9.Therefore, each PC9 code refers to a different product or product model.

FIG. 5 shows an example of use of finishes and fabrics to createdifferent products for women's jeans with traditional processing. For a711 product, there can be three different fabrics with different degreesof stretch, high stretch, medium stretch, and low stretch. As anexample, with traditional processing, for women's jeans, an average ofabout five products or PC9s are produced for each fabric.

FIG. 6 shows a hierarchy of fabrics and finishes for laser processing.For the 511 product, there can be two different fabrics, fabric 1 andfabric 2. The fabrics can be part of a fabric tool kit. For fabric 1,there are three base fit fabrics, BFF1, BFF2, and BFF3. Using laserfinishing, a base fit fabrics can be used to product eight differentfinishes, each of which would be considered a different product model.Although only eight different finishes are shown, then can be any numberof finishes (e.g., 8 or more, 20 or more, or 100 or more).

Thus, with laser finishing, in a comparison to FIGS. 4 and 5, tenproducts or PC9s are produced for each base fit fabric or blank.Compared to traditional processing, this is a significant improvement inproviding greater numbers of different products with less differentfabrics and finishes (each of which in traditional processing consumeresources, increasing cost, and take time). Inventory is reduced. Thetechnique of providing base fit finishes or fabric templates for laserfinishing has significant and many benefits.

A system incorporating laser finishing can include a computer to controlor monitor operation, or both. FIG. 7 shows an example of a computerthat is component of a laser finishing system. The computer may be aseparate unit that is connected to a system, or may be embedded inelectronics of the system. In an embodiment, the invention includessoftware that executes on a computer workstation system or server, suchas shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 is a simplified block diagram of a distributed computer network700 incorporating an embodiment of the present invention. Computernetwork 700 includes a number of client systems 713, 716, and 719, and aserver system 722 coupled to a communication network 724 via a pluralityof communication links 728. Communication network 724 provides amechanism for allowing the various components of distributed network 700to communicate and exchange information with each other.

Communication network 724 may itself be comprised of many interconnectedcomputer systems and communication links. Communication links 728 may behardwire links, optical links, satellite or other wirelesscommunications links, wave propagation links, or any other mechanismsfor communication of information. Communication links 728 may be DSL,Cable, Ethernet or other hardwire links, passive or active opticallinks, 3G, 3.5G, 4G and other mobility, satellite or other wirelesscommunications links, wave propagation links, or any other mechanismsfor communication of information.

Various communication protocols may be used to facilitate communicationbetween the various systems shown in FIG. 7. These communicationprotocols may include VLAN, MPLS, TCP/IP, Tunneling, HTTP protocols,wireless application protocol (WAP), vendor-specific protocols,customized protocols, and others. While in one embodiment, communicationnetwork 724 is the Internet, in other embodiments, communication network724 may be any suitable communication network including a local areanetwork (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless network, anintranet, a private network, a public network, a switched network, andcombinations of these, and the like.

Distributed computer network 700 in FIG. 7 is merely illustrative of anembodiment incorporating the present invention and does not limit thescope of the invention as recited in the claims. One of ordinary skillin the art would recognize other variations, modifications, andalternatives. For example, more than one server system 722 may beconnected to communication network 724. As another example, a number ofclient systems 713, 716, and 719 may be coupled to communication network724 via an access provider (not shown) or via some other server system.

Client systems 713, 716, and 719 typically request information from aserver system which provides the information. For this reason, serversystems typically have more computing and storage capacity than clientsystems. However, a particular computer system may act as both as aclient or a server depending on whether the computer system isrequesting or providing information. Additionally, although aspects ofthe invention have been described using a client-server environment, itshould be apparent that the invention may also be embodied in astand-alone computer system.

Server 722 is responsible for receiving information requests from clientsystems 713, 716, and 719, performing processing required to satisfy therequests, and for forwarding the results corresponding to the requestsback to the requesting client system. The processing required to satisfythe request may be performed by server system 722 or may alternativelybe delegated to other servers connected to communication network 724.

Client systems 713, 716, and 719 enable users to access and queryinformation stored by server system 722. In a specific embodiment, theclient systems can run as a standalone application such as a desktopapplication or mobile smartphone or tablet application. In anotherembodiment, a “web browser” application executing on a client systemenables users to select, access, retrieve, or query information storedby server system 722. Examples of web browsers include the InternetExplorer browser program provided by Microsoft Corporation, Firefoxbrowser provided by Mozilla, Chrome browser provided by Google, Safaribrowser provided by Apple, and others.

In a client-server environment, some resources (e.g., files, music,video, or data) are stored at the client while others are stored ordelivered from elsewhere in the network, such as a server, andaccessible via the network (e.g., the Internet). Therefore, the user'sdata can be stored in the network or “cloud.” For example, the user canwork on documents on a client device that are stored remotely on thecloud (e.g., server). Data on the client device can be synchronized withthe cloud.

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary client or server system of the presentinvention. In an embodiment, a user interfaces with the system through acomputer workstation system, such as shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 8 shows acomputer system 801 that includes a monitor 803, screen 805, enclosure807 (may also be referred to as a system unit, cabinet, or case),keyboard or other human input device 809, and mouse or other pointingdevice 811. Mouse 811 may have one or more buttons such as mouse buttons813.

It should be understood that the present invention is not limited anycomputing device in a specific form factor (e.g., desktop computer formfactor), but can include all types of computing devices in various formfactors. A user can interface with any computing device, includingsmartphones, personal computers, laptops, electronic tablet devices,global positioning system (GPS) receivers, portable media players,personal digital assistants (PDAs), other network access devices, andother processing devices capable of receiving or transmitting data.

For example, in a specific implementation, the client device can be asmartphone or tablet device, such as the Apple iPhone (e.g., AppleiPhone 6), Apple iPad (e.g., Apple iPad or Apple iPad mini), Apple iPod(e.g., Apple iPod Touch), Samsung Galaxy product (e.g., Galaxy S seriesproduct or Galaxy Note series product), Google Nexus devices (e.g.,Google Nexus 6, Google Nexus 7, or Google Nexus 9), and Microsoftdevices (e.g., Microsoft Surface tablet). Typically, a smartphoneincludes a telephony portion (and associated radios) and a computerportion, which are accessible via a touch screen display.

There is nonvolatile memory to store data of the telephone portion(e.g., contacts and phone numbers) and the computer portion (e.g.,application programs including a browser, pictures, games, videos, andmusic). The smartphone typically includes a camera (e.g., front facingcamera or rear camera, or both) for taking pictures and video. Forexample, a smartphone or tablet can be used to take live video that canbe streamed to one or more other devices.

Enclosure 807 houses familiar computer components, some of which are notshown, such as a processor, memory, mass storage devices 817, and thelike. Mass storage devices 817 may include mass disk drives, floppydisks, magnetic disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, fixeddisks, hard disks, CD-ROMs, recordable CDs, DVDs, recordable DVDs (e.g.,DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, HD-DVD, or Blu-ray Disc), flash and othernonvolatile solid-state storage (e.g., USB flash drive or solid statedrive (SSD)), battery-backed-up volatile memory, tape storage, reader,and other similar media, and combinations of these.

A computer-implemented or computer-executable version or computerprogram product of the invention may be embodied using, stored on, orassociated with computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium mayinclude any medium that participates in providing instructions to one ormore processors for execution. Such a medium may take many formsincluding, but not limited to, nonvolatile, volatile, and transmissionmedia. Nonvolatile media includes, for example, flash memory, or opticalor magnetic disks. Volatile media includes static or dynamic memory,such as cache memory or RAM. Transmission media includes coaxial cables,copper wire, fiber optic lines, and wires arranged in a bus.Transmission media can also take the form of electromagnetic, radiofrequency, acoustic, or light waves, such as those generated duringradio wave and infrared data communications.

For example, a binary, machine-executable version, of the software ofthe present invention may be stored or reside in RAM or cache memory, oron mass storage device 817. The source code of the software of thepresent invention may also be stored or reside on mass storage device817 (e.g., hard disk, magnetic disk, tape, or CD-ROM). As a furtherexample, code of the invention may be transmitted via wires, radiowaves, or through a network such as the Internet.

FIG. 9 shows a system block diagram of computer system 801 used toexecute the software of the present invention. As in FIG. 8, computersystem 801 includes monitor 803, keyboard 809, and mass storage devices817. Computer system 501 further includes subsystems such as centralprocessor 902, system memory 904, input/output (I/O) controller 906,display adapter 908, serial or universal serial bus (USB) port 912,network interface 918, and speaker 920. The invention may also be usedwith computer systems with additional or fewer subsystems. For example,a computer system could include more than one processor 902 (i.e., amultiprocessor system) or a system may include a cache memory.

Arrows such as 922 represent the system bus architecture of computersystem 801. However, these arrows are illustrative of anyinterconnection scheme serving to link the subsystems. For example,speaker 920 could be connected to the other subsystems through a port orhave an internal direct connection to central processor 902. Theprocessor may include multiple processors or a multicore processor,which may permit parallel processing of information. Computer system 801shown in FIG. 8 is but an example of a computer system suitable for usewith the present invention. Other configurations of subsystems suitablefor use with the present invention will be readily apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art.

Computer software products may be written in any of various suitableprogramming languages, such as C, C++, C#, Pascal, Fortran, Perl, Matlab(from MathWorks, www.mathworks.com), SAS, SPSS, JavaScript, AJAX, Java,Python, Erlang, and Ruby on Rails. The computer software product may bean independent application with data input and data display modules.Alternatively, the computer software products may be classes that may beinstantiated as distributed objects. The computer software products mayalso be component software such as Java Beans (from Oracle Corporation)or Enterprise Java Beans (EJB from Oracle Corporation).

An operating system for the system may be one of the Microsoft Windows®family of systems (e.g., Windows 95, 98, Me, Windows NT, Windows 2000,Windows XP, Windows XP x64 Edition, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8,Windows 10, Windows CE, Windows Mobile, Windows RT), Symbian OS, Tizen,Linux, HP-UX, UNIX, Sun OS, Solaris, Mac OS X, Apple iOS, Android, AlphaOS, AIX, IRIX32, or IRIX64. Other operating systems may be used.Microsoft Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

Any trademarks or service marks used in this patent are property oftheir respective owner. Any company, product, or service names in thispatent are for identification purposes only. Use of these names, logos,and brands does not imply endorsement.

Furthermore, the computer may be connected to a network and mayinterface to other computers using this network. The network may be anintranet, internet, or the Internet, among others. The network may be awired network (e.g., using copper), telephone network, packet network,an optical network (e.g., using optical fiber), or a wireless network,or any combination of these. For example, data and other information maybe passed between the computer and components (or steps) of a system ofthe invention using a wireless network using a protocol such as Wi-Fi(IEEE standards 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11e, 802.11g, 802.11i,802.11n, 802.11ac, and 802.11ad, just to name a few examples), nearfield communication (NFC), radio-frequency identification (RFID), mobileor cellular wireless (e.g., 2G, 3G, 4G, 3GPP LTE, WiMAX, LTE, LTEAdvanced, Flash-OFDM, HIPERMAN, iBurst, EDGE Evolution, UMTS, UMTS-TDD,1×RDD, and EV-DO). For example, signals from a computer may betransferred, at least in part, wirelessly to components or othercomputers.

In an embodiment, with a web browser executing on a computer workstationsystem, a user accesses a system on the World Wide Web (WWW) through anetwork such as the Internet. The web browser is used to download webpages or other content in various formats including HTML, XML, text,PDF, and postscript, and may be used to upload information to otherparts of the system. The web browser may use uniform resourceidentifiers (URLs) to identify resources on the web and hypertexttransfer protocol (HTTP) in transferring files on the web.

In other implementations, the user accesses the system through either orboth of native and nonnative applications. Native applications arelocally installed on the particular computing system and are specific tothe operating system or one or more hardware devices of that computingsystem, or a combination of these. These applications (which aresometimes also referred to as “apps”) can be updated (e.g.,periodically) via a direct internet upgrade patching mechanism orthrough an applications store (e.g., Apple iTunes and App store, GooglePlay store, Windows Phone store, and Blackberry App World store).

The system can run in platform-independent, nonnative applications. Forexample, client can access the system through a web application from oneor more servers using a network connection with the server or serversand load the web application in a web browser. For example, a webapplication can be downloaded from an application server over theInternet by a web browser. Nonnative applications can also be obtainedfrom other sources, such as a disk.

FIGS. 10-11 show examples of mobile devices, which can be mobileclients. Mobile devices are specific implementations of a computer, suchas described above. FIG. 10 shows a smartphone device 1001, and FIG. 11shows a tablet device 1101. Some examples of smartphones include theApple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, and Google Nexus family of devices. Someexamples of tablet devices include the Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab,and Google Nexus family of devices.

Smartphone 1001 has an enclosure that includes a screen 1003, button1009, speaker 1011, camera 1013, and proximity sensor 1035. The screencan be a touch screen that detects and accepts input from finger touchor a stylus. The technology of the touch screen can be a resistive,capacitive, infrared grid, optical imaging, or pressure-sensitive,dispersive signal, acoustic pulse recognition, or others. The touchscreen is screen and a user input device interface that acts as a mouseand keyboard of a computer.

Button 1009 is sometimes referred to as a home button and is used toexit a program and return the user to the home screen. The phone mayalso include other buttons (not shown) such as volume buttons and on-offbutton on a side. The proximity detector can detect a user's face isclose to the phone, and can disable the phone screen and its touchsensor, so that there will be no false inputs from the user's face beingnext to screen when talking.

Tablet 1101 is similar to a smartphone. Tablet 1101 has an enclosurethat includes a screen 1103, button 1109, and camera 1113. Typically thescreen (e.g., touch screen) of a tablet is larger than a smartphone,usually 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, or more inches (measured diagonally).

FIG. 12 shows a system block diagram of mobile device 1201 used toexecute the software of the present invention. This block diagram isrepresentative of the components of smartphone or tablet device. Themobile device system includes a screen 1203 (e.g., touch screen),buttons 1209, speaker 1211, camera 1213, motion sensor 1215, lightsensor 1217, microphone 1219, indicator light 1221, and external port1223 (e.g., USB port or Apple Lightning port). These components cancommunicate with each other via a bus 1225.

The system includes wireless components such as a mobile networkconnection 1227 (e.g., mobile telephone or mobile data), Wi-Fi 1229,Bluetooth 1231, GPS 1233 (e.g., detect GPS positioning), other sensors1235 such as a proximity sensor, CPU 1237, RAM memory 1239, storage 1241(e.g. nonvolatile memory), and battery 1243 (lithium ion or lithiumpolymer cell). The battery supplies power to the electronic componentsand is rechargeable, which allows the system to be mobile.

FIG. 13 shows flow for finishing apparel to produce a desired wearpattern. A technique includes determining a fabric's response to alaser, capturing an initial image of a wear pattern on a garment, andprocessing the initial image to obtain a working image in grayscale. Theworking image is further processed to obtain a difference image bycomparing each pixel relative to a dark reference. The difference imageis converted to a laser values image by using the previously determinedfabric response to the laser.

In a step 1312, a desired target photo is selected. An input is a userfile selection. An output is an imported image.

In a step 1318, a garment is extracted from the photo. An input is animported image. An output is a work image.

In a step 1324, a difference image is converted to a laser fabric file.An input is a different image. An output is a laser image.

In a step 1329, the difference image is converted to a laser fabricfile. An input is a difference image. An output is a laser image.

In a step 1335, user defined filtering and feature enhancement isperformed. An input is a laser image. An output is an enhanced image.

FIG. 14 shows a block diagram of a system for creating, designing,producing apparel products with laser finishing. A box line plan 1402 isan internal and interim tool for communication between a merchandisinggroup and design group. Through the box line plan, merchandising cancommunicate what needs to be designed by the design group. The box lineplan can have open slots to be designed 1409.

There is a digital design tool 1416 merchants and design can use toclick and drag finish effects (e.g., laser files) and tint casts overimages of base washes (BFFs) in order to visualize possible combinationsand build the line visually before the garment finish is actuallyfinished by the laser. The visualizations can be by rendering on acomputer system, such as using three-dimensional (3D) graphics. Aspecific implementation of a digital design tool is described in U.S.patent application 62/579,863, filed Oct. 31, 2017, which isincorporated by reference.

Designers can use the digital design tool to design products that areused to satisfy the requests in open slots 1409. Designs created usingthe digital design tool can be stored in a digital library 1422. Inputto the digital design tool include fabric templates or blanks 1427(e.g., base fit fabrics or BFFs), existing finishes 1433 (e.g., can befurther modified by the tool 1416), and new finishes 1438. New finishescan be from designs 1441 (e.g., vintage design) captured using a laserfinish software tool 1445, examples of which are described in FIG. 13and U.S. patent application 62/377,447, filed Aug. 19, 2016. Digitallibrary 1422 can be accessible by the region assorting and sell-in 1450.And the digital library can be used populate or satisfy the box lineplan.

FIG. 15 shows a block diagram of a user or consumer tool to createcustomized apparel using laser finishing. A user (user 1) can access adesign tool 1518. This design tools might be available and execute via aWeb browser or a mobile application (e.g., smartphone or tablet app).The design tool interacts and communicates over a network with a server1526. The design tool allows the user to create or customize a uniquedistressing or other pattern on, for example, jeans. The user will beable to visualize the design on a computer screen before making an orderfor the customized product.

The design tool communicates the user's design to the server. The serverhandles selecting an appropriate fabric template or blank 1533 andsending an appropriate laser file to the laser fabric finishing system1537 to control the laser 1541 to make the customized product 1546. Thecustomized product can be shipped to a store 1554 or shipped directly tothe user 1559.

Further, the server has access to a database 1566, where the server canstore a user's designed, so that the user may access the same design inthe future. The database may also be a digital library of differentdesigns that the user can select and add to make their customizeddesign.

Instead of using a Web browser or mobile app, a user (user 2) can alsoaccess create a customize product through a kiosk tool 1572 that is at astore or other location. This can be helpful for customers who arealready in the store or does not want to use the other tools. The kiosktool is optional and is not included in some implementations of thesystem. In other implementations, there is a kiosk tool and not thedesign tool 1518.

FIG. 16 shows another implementation of a kiosk tool. The tool andcomponents of the tool are in the same location (e.g., fabric blanks andlaser), so the user will be able to design and received the customizedproduct immediately, without waiting for shipping.

The kiosk has a display 1604 and input interface 1609 for the user tointeract with the kiosk. The display can be a touchscreen, whichincorporate the input interface. The user can also upload and save filesvia an external storage interface 1612, such as via a USB flash drive.Also, the kiosk can have a camera 1621 or scanner 1625, or both, to takeas input images of existing patterns or designs.

A design tool 1638 takes input from any of the above input sources andadditionally has access to a library 1643. With the design tool, theuser can design a customized product. The tool handles selecting anappropriate fabric template or blank 1652, sending an appropriate laserfile to the laser fabric finishing system 1657 to control the laser 1661to make the customized product 1669. The customized product is availableto the user minutes after lasering.

The kiosk can include an optional network connection 1677, which can bewired or wireless. With the network connection, the kiosk can connectover a network to other computers, servers, and machines. For example,software of the kiosk can be updated via the network. For example,through the network, the kiosk can check inventory of fabric templates,software of the kiosk can be updated, mobile devices can connect viaWi-Fi to the kiosk, and other functionality can be enabled.

FIG. 17 shows traditional flow for getting a product to market. Thisalso may be referred to as the “go-to-market” process. There are abrief, concept, or line plan phase 1703, design or development phase1707, initial assortment 1712 (which may sometimes be referred to a lineassortment worksheet (LAW)) or internal and interim checks in betweenmerchandising and design to review product line phase 1712, prototypephase 1718, final line assortment (FLA) 1724 or a final line assortmentmeeting where the group aligns on what will be in the line phase,commercial samples phase 1729, market week time 1735, sell-in phase1741, and fulfillment phase 1750 and in-season 1754.

FIG. 18 shows various techniques for reducing time to market when usinglaser finishing. A flow 1802 is a process flow for traditional process.It will take, for example, about 4.5 months from product commitment toarriving on the floor for sale. FG refers to finished good. DC refers todistribution center.

A flow 1835 is a process flow for laser finishing, no other changes fromthe traditional process. This flow will take, for example, about 4months from product commitment to arriving on the floor for sale.

A flow 1824 is another flow for laser finishing, where the blanks orfabric templates are stored at the vendor (e.g., fabric mill). This flowwill take, for example, about 2.5 months from product commitment toarriving on the floor for sale. The time savings is due the fabric notneeding to be shipped to the dry processing facility, which requiresshipping time.

A flow 1835 is another flow for laser finishing, where the blanks orfabric templates are stored at the distribution center (e.g., close tothe customer). This flow will take, for example, about 1 month fromproduct commitment to arriving on the floor for sale. The time savingsis due the fabric being laser finished, just be shipment, at a locationclose to the customer location.

In other flows, there can 1-day turnaround for in store or online ordersor purchases. In such cases, blanks or base fit fabrics are stored atstore or e-commerce distribution center. When the order is received, theblanks are burned immediately. Then the completed orders are deliveredto customer. For online orders, overnight or other express shipping(e.g., 2-day shipping, 3-day shipping, messenger, plane, or drone) canbe used.

FIG. 19 shows a finishing technique that includes the use of a laser1907. A laser is a device that emits light through a process of opticalamplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagneticradiation. Lasers are used for bar code scanning, medical proceduressuch as corrective eye surgery, and industrial applications such aswelding. A particular type of laser for finishing apparel is a carbondioxide laser, which emits a beam of infrared radiation.

The laser is controlled by an input file 1910 and control software 1913to emit a laser beam onto fabric at a particular position or location ata specific power level for a specific amount of time. Further, the powerof the laser beam can be varied according to a waveform such as a pulsewave with a particular frequency, period, pulse width, or othercharacteristic. Some aspects of the laser that can be controlled includethe duty cycle, frequency, marking or burning speed, and otherparameters.

The duty cycle is a percentage of laser emission time. Some examples ofduty cycle percentages include 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 80, and 100 percent.The frequency is the laser pulse frequency. A low frequency might be,for example, 5 kilohertz, while a high frequency might be, for example,25 kilohertz. Generally, lower frequencies will have higher surfacepenetration than high frequencies, which has less surface penetration.

The laser acts like a printer and “prints,” “marks,” or “burns” a wearpattern (specified by input file 1910) onto the garment. The fabric thatis exposed to the laser beam (e.g., infrared beam) changes color,lightening the fabric at a specified position by a certain amount basedon the laser power, time of exposure, and waveform used. The lasercontinues from position to position until the wear pattern is completelyprinted on the garment.

In a specific implementation, the laser has a resolution of about 34dots per inch (dpi), which on the garment is about 0.7 millimeters perpixel. The technique described in this patent is not dependent on thelaser's resolution, and will work with lasers have more or lessresolution than 34 dots per inch. For example, the laser can have aresolution of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 72, 80, 96, 100, 120, 150,200, 300, or 600 dots per inch, or more or less than any of these orother values. Typically, the greater the resolution, the finer thefeatures that can be printed on the garment in a single pass. By usingmultiple passes (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, or more passes) with the laser, theeffective resolution can be increased. In an implementation, multiplelaser passes are used.

U.S. patent application 62/433,739, which is incorporated by reference,describes a denim material with enhanced response characteristics tolaser finishing. Using a denim material made from indigo ring-dyed yarn,variations in highs and lows in indigo color shading is achieved byusing a laser.

As shown in FIG. 19, before laser 1907, the fabric can be prepared 1916for the laser, which may be referred to as a base preparation, and caninclude a prelaser wash. This wash is also referred to as a base wash(e.g., washed using a base wash recipe). This step helps improves theresults of the laser. After the laser, there can be a postlaser wash1919. This wash can clean or remove any residue caused by the laser,such as removing any charring (which would appear as brown or slightlyburning). There can be additional finish 1221, which may be includingtinting, softening, or fixing, to complete finishing.

FIG. 20 shows a technique where finishing is divided into two finishingsteps, finishing I and finishing II. Finishing I 2008 is an initialfinishing to create base templates 2011. For example, fully assembledgarments (e.g., jeans) can be base washed using a specific base washrecipe to obtain a base template.

Different base wash recipes are used to obtain different base templates.For example, the different base washes can vary in the amount of cycles,timing, temperature, abrasives, oxidizers, dyes, or tinting used, or anycombination of these. The base template may be a dark finish, mediumfinish, light finish, ultralight finish, or other base finish. The darkfinish can have a darker shade of indigo compared to the medium finish.The medium finish can have a darker shade of indigo compared to thelight finish. The light finish can have a lighter shade of indigocompared to the medium and the dark finishes. The ultralight finish canhave a lighter shade of indigo compared to the light shade finish.

With finishing II 2014 (e.g., laser finishing), each base template canbe used to manufacture multiple final finishes 2017. For example, thelaser uses a laser input file to burn a particular finishing pattern(e.g., wear pattern, whiskers, holes, or other) onto the garment.

FIGS. 21-23 show various approaches for staging (e.g., storinginventory) the base fit fabrics or base templates. In FIG. 21, there isa first facility at a first location and a second facility at a secondlocation, different from each other (in different buildings). The secondfacility may be referred to as a distribution center and stores aninventory of the finished products. As an example, the first facilitycan be in China or Asia. The second facility can be in the United States(e.g., distribution center for the U.S. market).

The first facility is handles assembling the garments, wet processing(e.g., base wash), storing an inventory of the base templates, laseringof the garment by a laser finishing machine when needed. The finishedproduct, output from the laser machine, is shipped to the secondfacility for inventorying.

In FIG. 22, compared to the approach in FIG. 21, the first facility nolonger stores the blank template inventory, but ships the templatesafter base wash to the second facility. The second facility stores aninventory of the base templates, and has laser machines that can laserfinish the garments. The resulting finished products are alsoinventoried at the second facility. In this approach, the time fromfinished product to store is shortened (compared to the approach in FIG.21) because typically the second facility (e.g., distribution center) iscloser to, for example, the retail stores and location of thepurchasers. This approach may be considered in-market final finishingbecause laser finishing occurs in the same location as the market thefacility serves.

In FIG. 23, compared to the approaches in FIGS. 21 and 22, there arethree facilities. The third facility is a distribution center (similarto the second facilities in FIGS. 21 and 22) and stores the finishedproducts. The second facility handles storing inventory of the basetemplates and lasering of the garments. The first facility handlesassembling the garments and base wash. The first facility ships the basetemplates to the second facility, which inventories them. Afterlasering, the second facility ships the finished products to the thirdfacility.

As an example, the first facility can be in China or Asia. The secondfacility can be in Mexico, or other location geographically closer tothe third facility than the first facility. The third facility can be inthe United States (e.g., distribution center for the U.S. market).

In an implementation, a system includes: a first garment product, secondgarment product, digital design tool, and a laser finishing machine. Thefirst garment is identifiable by a first product code identifier. Thefirst garment product is made from a first garment template washed usinga first base wash recipe. The first garment template is an assembledgarment made from fabric panels of a woven first material comprising awarp yarn including indigo-dyed cotton yarn, and the fabric panels aresewn together using thread.

The second garment product is identifiable by a second product codeidentifier. The second garment product is made from a second garmenttemplate washed using a second base wash recipe, different from thefirst base wash recipe. The second garment template is an assembledgarment made from fabric panels of the woven first material comprising awarp yarn comprising indigo-dyed cotton yarn, and the fabric panels aresewn together using thread.

The digital design tool is used to generate or produce one or more laserfiles, including a first laser file for a first finishing pattern. Thedigital design tool generates a visualization of a finishing pattern ona computer screen and allows editing of the finishing pattern.

The laser finishing machine receives as input the first laser file thatis generated by the digital design tool. When the first garment templateis used as a target garment for a laser head of the laser finishingmachine and the first laser file controls operation of the laser head,the laser finishing machine burns the first finishing pattern on thetarget garment, which results in the target garment becoming the firstgarment product. When the second garment template is used as the targetgarment for the laser head of the laser finishing machine and the firstlaser file controls operation of the laser head, the laser finishingmachine burns the finishing pattern on the target garment, which resultsin the target garment becoming the second garment product.

In various implementations, the first product code identifier isdifferent from the second product code identifier. The first material isa denim. The first garment product can be a first pair of jeans product.The second garment product can be a second pair of jeans product.

The first base wash recipe can result in a lighter colored appareltemplate than the second base wash recipe. For example, the first basewash recipe may include more oxidizer (e.g., sodium hypochlorite) thatchemically oxidizes the material or fabric of the assembled apparel. Ofthe first base wash recipe may include abrasives (e.g., pumice) thatabrades the surface of the material.

The system can further include: a third garment product, identifiable bya third product code identifier, where the third garment product is madefrom the first garment template. The digital design tool generates asecond laser file including a second finishing pattern, different fromthe first finishing pattern. The laser finishing machine receives asinput the second laser file that is generated by the digital designtool. When the first garment template is used as the target garment forthe laser head of the laser finishing machine and the second laser filecontrols operation of the laser head, the laser finishing machine burnsthe second finishing pattern on the target garment, which results in thetarget garment becoming the third garment product.

The system can include: a third garment product, identifiable by a thirdproduct code identifier, where the third garment product is made fromthe first garment template; and a fourth garment product, identifiableby a fourth product code identifier, where the fourth garment product ismade from the second garment template. The digital design tool generatesa second laser file including a second finishing pattern, different fromthe first finishing pattern. The laser finishing machine receives asinput the second laser file that is generated by the digital designtool.

When the first garment template is used as the target garment for thelaser head of the laser finishing machine and the second laser filecontrols operation of the laser head, the laser finishing machine burnsthe second finishing pattern on the target garment, which results in thetarget garment becoming the third garment product. When the secondgarment template is used as the target garment for the laser head of thelaser finishing machine and the second laser file controls operation ofthe laser head, the laser finishing machine burns the second finishingpattern on the target garment, which results in the target garmentbecoming the fourth garment product.

The laser finishing machine can be housed in a processing facilityincluding machines used to perform the first and second base washrecipes. The first and second garment products are stored at adistribution center. The processing facility and distribution center areseparate buildings in different locations. A template inventoryincluding the first garment template and second garment template arestored at the processing facility.

The laser finishing machine can be housed in a dry processing facility.The first and second garment products are stored at a distributioncenter. The dry processing facility and distribution center are separatebuildings in different locations. A template inventory including thefirst garment template and second garment template are stored at the dryprocessing facility. The dry processing facility does not includemachines used to perform the first and second base wash recipes.

The laser finishing machine can be housed in a dry processing facility.The first and second garment products are stored at a distributioncenter. The dry processing facility and distribution center are in thesame building at the same location. A template inventory including thefirst garment template and second garment template are stored at thedistribution center.

The system can include a server, connected to a user digital design tooland laser finishing machine via a network. A user accesses the userdigital design tool at the server via the Web (e.g., the Internet or theCloud) and creates a user laser file with a customized laser finishingpattern. The user selects a template from a template library to whichthe customized laser finishing pattern. The laser finishing machinereceives as input the user laser file. When the user's selected garmenttemplate is used as the target garment for the laser head of the laserfinishing machine and the user laser file controls operation of thelaser head, the laser finishing machine burns the customized finishingpattern on the target garment, which results in the target garmentbecoming a customized product for the user.

In another implementation, a method includes: providing a first garmenttemplate washed using a first base wash recipe, where the first garmenttemplate is an assembled garment made from fabric panels of a wovenfirst material comprising a warp yarn comprising indigo-dyed cottonyarn, and the fabric panels are sewn together using thread; providing asecond garment template washed using a second base wash recipe, wherethe second garment template is an assembled garment made from fabricpanels of a woven first material comprising a warp yarn comprisingindigo-dyed cotton yarn, and the fabric panels are sewn together usingthread; providing a first laser file including a first finishingpattern; and inputting the first laser file to a laser finishing machineto burn the first finishing pattern onto the first garment template toobtain a first finished garment.

The method further includes: indicating the first finished garment as afirst garment product, identifiable by a first product code identifier;inputting the first laser file to the laser finishing machine to burnthe first finishing pattern onto the second garment template to obtain asecond finished garment; and indicating the second finished garment as asecond garment product, identifiable by a second product codeidentifier, different form the first product code identifier.

In various implementations, the method can include: providing a secondlaser file including a second finishing pattern, different from thefirst finishing pattern; inputting the second laser file to the laserfinishing machine to burn the second finishing pattern onto the firstgarment template to obtain a third finished garment; and indicating thethird finished garment as a third garment product, identifiable by athird product code identifier, different from the first and secondproduct code identifiers.

The method can include: providing a second laser file including a secondfinishing pattern, different from the first finishing pattern; inputtingthe second laser file to the laser finishing machine to burn the secondfinishing pattern onto the first garment template to obtain a thirdfinished garment; indicating the third finished garment as a thirdgarment product, identifiable by a third product code identifier;inputting the second laser file to the laser finishing machine to burnthe second finishing pattern onto the second garment template to obtaina fourth finished garment; and indicating the fourth finished garment asa fourth garment product, identifiable by a fourth product codeidentifier, different from the fourth product code identifier.

The first base wash recipe can result in a lighter colored (or darkercolored) apparel template than the second base wash recipe.

A first inventory of the first and second garment template can be storedin a first facility at a first location. The first and second finishedgarments are stored in a second inventory at a second facility at asecond location. The first and second facilities are different buildingsin different locations.

A first inventory of the first and second garment template can be storedin a first facility at a first location, the first and second finishedgarments are stored in a second inventory at the first facility. Thelaser finishing machine and burning of the finishing patterns alsooccurs at the first facility.

The providing a first garment template washed using a first base washrecipe can include washing an assembled garment first base wash recipeto obtain the first garment template at a first facility at a firstlocation. The method can include: shipping the first garment template toa second facility at a second location, different from the firstfacility, and storing an inventory the first garment template at thesecond facility. The second facility can house the laser finishingmachine. The second facility can store an inventory of the first garmentproduct.

This description of the invention has been presented for the purposes ofillustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the invention to the precise form described, and manymodifications and variations are possible in light of the teachingabove. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to bestexplain the principles of the invention and its practical applications.This description will enable others skilled in the art to best utilizeand practice the invention in various embodiments and with variousmodifications as are suited to a particular use. The scope of theinvention is defined by the following claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: manufacturing aplurality of garments made from denim fabric panels, wherein the denimfabric panels are sewn together using thread; using a first base washrecipe to wash a first subset of the garments to obtain a plurality offirst garment templates; using a second base wash recipe to wash asecond subset of the garments to obtain a plurality of second garmenttemplates, wherein the first and second wash recipes are different;using a laser finishing machine, burning a first finishing pattern onone of the first garment templates to obtain a first finished garment;indicating the first finished garment as a first garment product,identifiable by a first product code identifier; using the laserfinishing machine to burn the first finishing pattern on one of thesecond garment templates to obtain a second finished garment; indicatingthe second finished garment as a second garment product, identifiable bya second product code identifier.
 2. The method of claim 1 comprising:storing a first inventory of the first garment templates; and storing asecond inventory of the second garment templates.
 3. The method of claim2 wherein the first and second inventories are stored in a firstfacility that also houses the laser finishing machine.
 4. The method ofclaim 3 wherein the manufacturing of the garments are washing ofgarments is performed at a different facility from the first facility.5. The method of claim 1 comprising: using the laser finishing machineto burn a second finishing pattern on one of the first garment templatesto obtain a third finished garment; and indicating the third finishedgarment as a third garment product, identifiable by a third product codeidentifier.
 6. A method comprising: using a first base wash recipe towash a garment to obtain a first garment template, wherein the garmentis an assembled garment made from fabric panels of a woven firstmaterial comprising a warp yarn comprising indigo-dyed cotton yarn, andthe fabric panels are sewn together using thread; using a second basewash recipe to wash a garment to obtain a second garment template,wherein the first and second wash recipes are different; using a laserfinishing machine to burn a first finishing pattern on the first garmenttemplate to obtain a first finished garment; indicating the firstfinished garment as a first garment product, identifiable by a firstproduct code identifier; using a laser finishing machine to burn thefirst finishing pattern on the second garment template to obtain asecond finished garment; and indicating the second finished garment as asecond garment product, identifiable by a second product codeidentifier.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first base wash recipecomprises a different concentration of chemical oxidizers than thesecond base wash recipe.
 8. The method of claim 6 wherein the first basewash recipe comprises a different amount of abrasive particles than thesecond base wash recipe.
 9. The method of claim 6 comprising: storing afirst inventory comprising a plurality of first garment templates; andstoring a second inventory comprising a plurality of second garmenttemplates.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first inventory isstored in a facility that also houses the laser finishing machine thatburns the first finishing pattern on the first garment template.
 11. Themethod of claim 10 the wherein the second inventory is stored in afacility that also houses the laser finishing machine that burns thefirst finishing pattern on the second garment template.
 12. A methodcomprising: providing a first garment template washed using a first basewash recipe, wherein the first garment template is an assembled garmentmade from fabric panels of a woven first material comprising a warp yarncomprising indigo-dyed cotton yarn, and the fabric panels are sewntogether using thread; providing a second garment template washed usinga second base wash recipe, wherein the second garment template is anassembled garment made from fabric panels of a woven first materialcomprising a warp yarn comprising indigo-dyed cotton yarn, and thefabric panels are sewn together using thread; providing a first laserfile including a first finishing pattern; inputting the first laser fileto a laser finishing machine to burn the first finishing pattern ontothe first garment template to obtain a first finished garment;indicating the first finished garment as a first garment product,identifiable by a first product code identifier; inputting the firstlaser file to the laser finishing machine to burn the first finishingpattern onto the second garment template to obtain a second finishedgarment; and indicating the second finished garment as a second garmentproduct, identifiable by a second product code identifier, differentform the first product code identifier.
 13. The method of claim 12comprising: providing a second laser file including a second finishingpattern, different from the first finishing pattern; inputting thesecond laser file to the laser finishing machine to burn the secondfinishing pattern onto the first garment template to obtain a thirdfinished garment; and indicating the third finished garment as a thirdgarment product, identifiable by a third product code identifier,different from the first and second product code identifiers.
 14. Themethod of claim 12 comprising: providing a second laser file including asecond finishing pattern, different from the first finishing pattern;inputting the second laser file to the laser finishing machine to burnthe second finishing pattern onto the first garment template to obtain athird finished garment; indicating the third finished garment as a thirdgarment product, identifiable by a third product code identifier;inputting the second laser file to the laser finishing machine to burnthe second finishing pattern onto the second garment template to obtaina fourth finished garment; and indicating the fourth finished garment asa fourth garment product, identifiable by a fourth product codeidentifier, different from the third product code identifier.
 15. Themethod of claim 12 wherein the first base wash recipe results in alighter colored apparel template than the second base wash recipe. 16.The method of claim 12 wherein a first inventory of the first and secondgarment template is stored in a first facility at a first location, thefirst and second finished garments are stored in a second inventory at asecond facility at a second location, and the first and secondfacilities are different buildings in different locations.
 17. Themethod of claim 12 wherein a first inventory of the first and secondgarment template is stored in a first facility at a first location, thefirst and second finished garments are stored in a second inventory atthe first facility, and the laser finishing machine and burning of thefinishing patterns also occurs at the first facility.
 18. The method ofclaim 12 wherein the providing a first garment template washed using afirst base wash recipe comprises washing an assembled garment first basewash recipe to obtain the first garment template at a first facility ata first location, shipping the first garment template to a secondfacility at a second location, different from the first facility, andstoring an inventory the first garment template at the second facility.19. The method of claim 18 wherein the second facility houses the laserfinishing machine.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the secondfacility stores an inventory of the first garment product.